Do u support the 99% protest's?

[Rizzyy 736]

OAKLAND -- As many as 40 people were arrested in downtown Oakland early Thursday after what was mostly a peaceful day during the general strike Wednesday turned heated.

Late in the evening, protesters temporarily took over a vacant building, started fires in downtown and used homemade bomb launchers to fire M80s at police.

At 1 a.m. police had used tear-gas and flashbang grenades in attempts to clear the crowd from downtown streets. Some protesters tried to calm the situation by chanting "Don't throw (crap)" and yelling "Stand still the world is watching" but others continued to stand off with police and refused to leave despite police calling an "unlawful assembly" at midnight.

Shortly after 1:30 a.m. police were ready to move in on the Occupy Oakland camp at Frank H. Ogawa Plaza and announced that arrests would be made. At least 100 tents are housing hundreds of people there.

Interim Police Chief Howard Jordan said there are about 70 people "determined to cause trouble and instigate a confrontation with police." They plan to release their photos at some point. Jordan said officers intended to separate the troublemakers from the rest of the campers. He said around 2 a.m. that between 30 and 40 had been arrested, although he could not confirm the exact number.

They may have been some of the same vandals who trashed Whole Foods on Wednesday.

"We are aware of people bent on causing problems, and we're taking steps to address those problems," Jordan said

 

Before the sun set Wednesday, more than 4,500 walked from downtown to the port and stretched several blocks down Middle Harbor Road leading into the port as they begin their attempt to shut down operations. About 5 p.m., they successfully shut down the port, said Director Omar Benjamin.

Before the building takeover shortly before midnight Wednesday, Quan said she was happy the crowd -- which police estimate hit 7,000 people at one point -- protested all day with only a small amount of destruction and violence.

Oakland is being watched worldwide as one of the largest and possibly the most volatile Occupy movements around the globe.

On Oct. 25, 1,000 people marched in the streets, threw bottles and rocks at police and clashed with officers, who launched projectiles and tear-gas into the crowd. A former Marine, Scott Olsen, 24, fell to the ground during the clash and remains hospitalized with a fractured skull; witnesses said he was struck by a tear-gas canister. Quan has since allowed the Occupy movement to rebuild the camp at the plaza and about 100 tents have popped up.

The nighttime clashes followed an early-morning raid on the Occupy Oakland encampment, where police overturned tents, ripped down signs and arrested scores of protesters.

Jordan said Wednesday that the plan had been to facilitate a peaceful march.

"We react to the actions of the crowd. (Wednesday) the crowd has been peaceful, with no threats to police officers, and we allowed them to peacefully assemble. When crowd becomes assaultive or agitated, we're required by law to respond. That hasn't happened here. What you saw tonight was minimal presence," he said.

Quan spokeswoman Sue Piper said city leaders know that the sight of police lines could incite the crowd, and putting fewer police on the streets earlier in the day was deliberate.

But there was a ruckus at 11th Street and Broadway after two people were hit by a motorist.

About 8 p.m., a man and a woman were struck by a car at 11th Street and Broadway. The male driver of a silver Mercedes ran a red light and struck the pair, said Joe Jackson, 37, of Oakland, who witnessed the incident.

Onlookers said the driver deliberately ran over the protesters, and accelerated after a man hit the hood of the car. The windshield was splattered with what appeared to be a milkshake. After the car stopped at the other end of the intersection, the driver switched seats with his female passenger. About 40 people gathered in the intersection and some pulled open the driver's door.

The woman inside shouted: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" The injured man and woman were taken away in ambulances. Their conditions are not known, but both have non life-threatening injuries. Reports that the one of those struck had died are untrue. Police released the driver.

The general strike was called by Occupy Oakland and supported by residents, a few small businesses, teachers and nurses with the California Nurses Association. It was intended to shut down the city for the day in a rally cry against corporate greed, widespread unemployment and wage inequality.

The worldwide Occupy movement decries the economic wealth of the very rich 1 percent while the remaining 99 percent of the population struggles in the down economy.

Throughout the day, at least five businesses were vandalized, mostly banks and a Whole Foods Market.

At the Whole Foods at 27th and Bay streets, a splinter group wearing black clothing and face masks threw paint balls, left graffiti, tore up a fence and broke a window before the larger crowd turned on them and forced them to stop. About 75 people were inside the store at the time. No injuries were reported.

Joan Bechtel, of Pittsburg, and a friend were inside the grocery when the vandalism started and were held inside the store for 45 minutes.

"People were scared at first, and there was a lot of tension there for quite a while," Bechtel said. "We heard (the protesters) were coming back and the employees said they had to close the store, and they let us out."

Oakland City Council President Larry Reid took was not pleased with the destruction.

"Look at Whole Foods. Look at Bank of America and the Kaiser Center. Look at Chase Bank. It's not even dark yet," Reid said of the midafternoon destruction.

At Bank of America in downtown Oakland, some protesters pounded on the locked doors, defaced ATMs and broke a window before moving down the street to Wells Fargo.

Several windows were also broken at the Wells Fargo at 12th and Broadway by a splinter group as the majority of demonstrators urged them to stop.

Some bank branches were closed all day, including the Wells and Citibank outlets near Oakland City Center.

There were also some unhappy truckers at the port when the protesters blocked the roadways.

"To me this is all (baloney)," said Sam, who declined to give his last name, but said he is a hauler for NevCal Trucking out of Reno and picked up a container at PortsAmerica terminal Wednesday afternoon. When he tried to leave, the exit gate manned by U.S. Customs and Border Protection had closed early because of the impending protest.

"These people are out here trying to make a living. I get paid per run, I don't get paid by the hour,'' he said. "My personal opinion? The 1 percent down here is protesting, the 99 percent is down here working."

At least 200 city workers took Wednesday off, about 5 percent of the city's entire workforce. Other city and port workers were sent home early as the crowd of demonstrators swelled to about 5,000 downtown.

For much of the afternoon the large crowd split off into separate marches, with some staying at the Occupy Oakland camp at Frank H. Ogawa Plaza and participating in teach-ins and sit-ins, and others marching and protesting.

At the plaza, members of the Alameda Labor Council served free hot dogs, hamburgers, veggie dogs and veggie burgers to a ravenous crowd and had given away more than 4,000 meals. Firefighters from the City of Alameda with Alameda Local 689 worked the massive charcoal grills while other volunteers began picking up the mountains of trash overflowing from garbage bins.

"It's been exciting. There's been great energy all day," said Josie Camacho, secretary-treasurer of the Alameda Labor Council.

Also on Wednesday, a crowd of more than 300 parents with babies, toddlers and children of all ages marched from the main branch of the Oakland Public Library to 13th and Broadway as part of a "children's brigade." Children led the march and chanted "Who are the 99? We are the 99!" while parents with wagons, strollers and infants in carriers marched behind them, toting snacks, crayons, chalk and bubbles.

"I'm only 6. I can't afford a lobbyist" read one sign.

Chris Specker, a Temescal resident who owns the "It's Your Move" game store on Telegraph Avenue, attended the march with her 5-year-old daughter Sarah, who is in kindergarten at Oakland Unified's Peralta Elementary. Specker said she was one of several Peralta parents who signed her daughter out of school at lunch time Wednesday.

"The concept is easy: everyone needs to share," said Specker, a single mom. "I closed my store to support the strike, and I want my daughter to learn that activism is important."

Specker said she hoped that Oakland residents will support local businesses and she planned to eat dinner with friends at a downtown restaurant before heading home.

Students and teachers from Berkeley and Laney colleges also marched downtown to join the strike after first stopping to serve a symbolic "eviction notice" at Oakland Unified School District headquarters.

Joel Velasquez, a parent of two children at Westlake school, said school board members are "on notice that they will be evicted from office in the next election for doing the dirty work of the 1 percent."

"They are part of institutional problems that cause hardship on low-income children," Velasquez said.

Several businesses, including Tullys, the Men's Wearhouse and the Grand Lake Theater, closed to support the general strike to protest the inequality of wealth and power.

The UC Office of the President kept its more than 800 employees home over concerns that BART might be shut down at some point. About 1,300 people affiliated with UC work in the building, and all stayed away.

Sam K., owner of Jimmy's Deli said he decided to keep his delicatessen on Broadway closed all day.

"What can you do? We have to close," said Sam, who asked that his last name not be used. "Our regular customers don't want to come down here while this is going on," he said, gesturing to the demonstrators who had filled Broadway.

"It's getting to be too much to run a business in Oakland," Sam said.

Oaklandish, a T-shirt and accessories retailer, kept its doors closed.

"We wanted to show our solidarity with Occupy Oakland," said Angela Tsay, owner of Oaklandish. Her store opened in July on Broadway.

Oaklandish printed free T-shirts that said "Working for Oakland 99 percent." Tsay also arranged for a disc jockey to play music in front of the shuttered store and paid her dozen employees for the day, despite the store being closed.

[Wyrlor1494 15]

I honestly don't. For one, most of them don't know the whole situation. If you look at the facts, that 1% is paying far more than their share of the total taxes that are collected by the government. . . If anything, it should be reversed. Personally, I believe one flat rate of tax for everyone, for example, 10% (NOt any specific number, just for an example). Every person is taxed the same. Those people in the 1% usually have to work for that money they received, and shouldn't be taxed an overabundance just for that. I can see the point of the protesters, but it seems rather hypocritical. . . Factually speaking, most of them don't pay taxes. I'm not saying they don't, but the percentages don't add up

 

I will quote an article that was written back in 2007. It may be old, but they taxes have only gone up, so the point should still be seen.

 

The wealthiest 1 percent of the population earn 19 per­cent of the income but pay 37 percent of the income tax

As this article states. . . That 1% that the people are protesting against is really supplying more than their fair share of taxes.

 

Now, Bush's tax cuts were said to favor the rich. . . And they kind of were. But really only the super rich people, as in a very small amount. But what are these rich people? More times than not, business owners. By giving them tax breaks, they can put more money back into the economy by hiring new employees, investing the money, etc, which it was said that they did!

 

So while I can see the point of the protests, I do not fully agree with them. I am part of the silent majority, as they say. Now, do I think the police have been right throughout these protests? Well, that's a different story. . . But I do see and respect the opposing side's reasons and arguments

 

Article referenced:

http://www.american....-pays-the-taxes

[Ace326 79]

I honestly don't. For one, most of them don't know the whole situation. If you look at the facts, that 1% is paying far more than their share of the total taxes that are collected by the government. . . If anything, it should be reversed. Personally, I believe one flat rate of tax for everyone, for example, 10% (NOt any specific number, just for an example). Every person is taxed the same. Those people in the 1% usually have to work for that money they received, and shouldn't be taxed an overabundance just for that. I can see the point of the protesters, but it seems rather hypocritical. . . Factually speaking, most of them don't pay taxes. I'm not saying they don't, but the percentages don't add up

 

I will quote an article that was written back in 2007. It may be old, but they taxes have only gone up, so the point should still be seen.

 

 

 

As this article states. . . That 1% that the people are protesting against is really supplying more than their fair share of taxes.

 

Now, Bush's tax cuts were said to favor the rich. . . And they kind of were. But really only the super rich people, as in a very small amount. But what are these rich people? More times than not, business owners. By giving them tax breaks, they can put more money back into the economy by hiring new employees, investing the money, etc, which it was said that they did!

 

So while I can see the point of the protests, I do not fully agree with them. I am part of the silent majority, as they say. Now, do I think the police have been right throughout these protests? Well, that's a different story. . . But I do see and respect the opposing side's reasons and arguments

 

Article referenced:

http://www.american....-pays-the-taxes

 

I like what you said, but I dont believe the tax breaks really helped. I think the companies just put the money in the bank.

[wayfinder823 477]

Is the 99% the same as Occupy Wall Street?

[Rizzyy 736]

Is the 99% the same as Occupy Wall Street?

 

yea it's happening all over america, oakland is the one protest that actually has anarchist flags all over the place.

[Koko 3,944]

I don't really care, but some people in this Occupy protests are being stupid and unreasonable. There's no need for violence at all and if you think that's the answer then go home.

 

The cause is good, the way some people are trying to 'help' is bad. I mean most of them don't really know what's going on.

[baylaust 2,531]

I get what the people are saying, and in a way, they're right. Problem is, they aren't doing crap to help the problem either. Imagine if you run out of chips when you have friends over. Instead of complaining about how there aren't any more chips for the entire night, go out and get some chips. Not of the same scale, sure, but they aren't doing anything to fix the problem. They've identified that it exists, but now they have to DO something about it.

 

Also, I like that they're keeping it peaceful for the most part (asides from Oakland). However,in New York, the NYPD is treating these protests absolutely HORRIBLY. You see the things they do to non-aggressive people, hear the stories of how they throw tear gas into a group of bystanders at dangerous range, and you have to wonder, 'How do those men still have their jobs?'.

[Wyrlor1494 15]

I like what you said, but I dont believe the tax breaks really helped. I think the companies just put the money in the bank.

 

Actually, I believe most of them invested the money, but I could be wrong. Either way, they put the money somewhere, ie a bank, giving the bank more revenue, etc etc, and it still goes back into the economy Unless they pull a Google and put it in an offshore account x3 But I do think the tax breaks helped in the long term, allowing more job opening etc.

 

I get what the people are saying, and in a way, they're right. Problem is, they aren't doing crap to help the problem either. Imagine if you run out of chips when you have friends over. Instead of complaining about how there aren't any more chips for the entire night, go out and get some chips. Not of the same scale, sure, but they aren't doing anything to fix the problem. They've identified that it exists, but now they have to DO something about it.

 

Also, I like that they're keeping it peaceful for the most part (asides from Oakland). However,in New York, the NYPD is treating these protests absolutely HORRIBLY. You see the things they do to non-aggressive people, hear the stories of how they throw tear gas into a group of bystanders at dangerous range, and you have to wonder, 'How do those men still have their jobs?'.

 

This is true, about the police, but they were prodded, so to speak. They did give very clear instructions, and started out peacefully, but the protesters overreacted in a bit. . . Which caused the police to overreact in response to the overreaction, and it all just going downhill From what I read, it really wasn't the protester's fault. . . Mainly the people who were just "protesting," and not even knowing what was going on And i do agree with your analogy about the chips. I mean, they are complaining about money, while not working to join in the protest. . . But that is what a protest is, I suppose.

[Amon 4,279]

The 99% movement is nothing but a bunch of lazy losers with nothing better to do than protest about something they don't believe in or no nothing about.

 

I've ranted and ranted about this for a while across multiple webpages already. I'm just going to copy and paste my thoughts.

 

Regarding the oakland riots

Occupy whatever is nothing but a modern Bolshevik movement. It's a shame that people are heavily criticizing the tea party for peaceful and legitimate protest, yet people seem to be supporting a gathering of low-lifes who can't seem to go one night without breaking the law.

 

These people are a danger to the stability of the country. It's no longer a protest, it's a revolt and the authorities should treat it as such. The Police are being too carefree. Now that we know these people are unstable the police should meet the protesters with tear gas, dogs, and a riot shield phalanx.

 

There are people in gas mask, military jumpsuits, and an endless stream of threatening propaganda. All of America's peaceful protest have never seen this violence. When Martin Luther King marched on Washington, did the protesters vandalize and torch public property? Hell no! So why do these protesters act up and still have the nerve to claim they are peaceful?

 

In response to a comment claiming that the Tea Party isn't peaceful and that OWS wear gas mask to protect themselves from police

The point of the Tea Party bringing guns to the protest was to show their support for the second amendment. I passed by a Tea Party member protesting with his weapon whilst on a walk and he said that the police check to make sure that they are not loaded. The officer even made him take out the bolt and put a stopper in the barrel. They wouldn't need gas mask if they were peacefully protesting. Tea Party members don't need to wear gas mask. Wonder why? They abide to the laws regarding protest. OWS is nothing but a group of #$%$ off failures. They lack focus and organization and rely completely on a mob mentality. This will eventually be their downfall as when one group starts to act up, the police will put an end to all Occupy protest across the country.

Regarding an anon comparing anon to V and how OWS is liberating people

The people wearing these mask today put V to shame. V wanted to remove government power and restore freedom

 

Explain to me how wanting socialism will gain freedom? More government control is what caused the scenario in this movie anyway.

 

 

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Also, I like that they're keeping it peaceful for the most part (asides from Oakland). However,in New York, the NYPD is treating these protests absolutely HORRIBLY. You see the things they do to non-aggressive people, hear the stories of how they throw tear gas into a group of bystanders at dangerous range, and you have to wonder, 'How do those men still have their jobs?'. <

 

Sorry Baylust but I must disagree with this statement. In America it's pretty hard to arrest over 1000 innocent people across several days. While I am sure that there are plenty of cases in which innocent people were arrested, I highly doubt that the NYPD is doing anything significantly wrong. Personally as the Oakland riots have shown, the authorities need to be MORE strict with these people.

[Ace326 79]

I don't really care, but some people in this Occupy protests are being stupid and unreasonable. There's no need for violence at all and if you think that's the answer then go home.

 

The cause is good, the way some people are trying to 'help' is bad. I mean most of them don't really know what's going on.

 

Your exactly right. It started out peaceful and then got violent. I believe peaceful protesting is the only true protesting that should take place anywhere in the world. If a cop attacks you when you did not do anything wrong more people will take your side.

[baylaust 2,531]

Sorry Baylust but I must disagree with this statement. In America it's pretty hard to arrest over 1000 innocent people across several days. While I am sure that there are plenty of cases in which innocent people were arrested, I highly doubt that the NYPD is doing anything significantly wrong. Personally as the Oakland riots have shown, the authorities need to be MORE strict with these people.

 

To each their own. And yeah, Oakland is definitely a lot more out of control than the other places (it seems more like they're looking for an excuse to riot above all), and in a case like that, aggressiveness is completely understandable. But there's also the complete misuse of stun grenades / tear gas from the guys over there. I'm sure you probably heard about it already, but the man that was injured in a protest, and when the crowd went to see if he was okay, they tossed a stun grenade DIRECTLY into the middle of the crowd. They're supposed to use things like that a SAFE distance from a crowd, and in a position that it yeilds the desired result (moving the crowd in the desired direction). They intentionally put people in danger, misused dangerous equipment, risked several people recieving permanent sight or hearing problems or severe injury from the shrapnel, against some guys who only wanted to see if someone who was badly injured was alright (who was also an Iraq war veteran).

 

But for the most part, I'm talking about the NYPD. They've grabbed random protesters and started beating them to the ground for no reason. They pepper sprayed a group of girls (who were already in their own section to avoid disrupting passerbys) after they did nothing to provoke it. And those are just a couple of examples. I agree that arresting so many people is not an easy task, and in places where things get violent, aggression is understandable. My issue is that they're the ones starting the violence and outrage a good amount of the time, and when they aren't, the things they do only make the situation worse than it already was.

[wayfinder823 477]

I don't know. The whole, "taxing the wealthy 1%" sounds kind of unethical.

I mean -- think about it -- out tax dollars go to public facilities (roads, transportation, schools, etc.) those things are there for EVERYONE to use. Therefore, shouldn't EVERYONE (who has an income) help pay for the use of those facilities?

 

I pay taxes so I can drive on the roads. I pay taxes to gain an education. I pay taxes so that if I don't have a car, I can use a bus, or the electrical trains, or the cross walks to get places. I pay taxes to help support our troops who protect our country, and etc.

 

If only the 1% pays for all of that, then it would be wrong for us, the 99% to use it, because we're not helping to contribute using those public facilities. It's unethical.

 

I agree with Wyrlor1494 about having one flat tax across all incomes.

I know it sucks to have government hands reach into your paycheck and take out your hard earned money -- I understand that it sucks, and it sometimes makes things tight, but as citizens, we should ALL help contribute. It's OUR country. Not the 1%'s country. Not the 99%'s country. It's OUR [Americans -- 100%] country.

 

Besides, if we left all of our taxes to the wealthy 1%, our economy would collapse! Their entire paycheck would be given to our taxes, if those 1% aren't making an income, then their companies are going to shut down, causing more people to be out of work, and before we know it -- everyone is going to be poor.

 

There is nothing wrong with success. I got a 75% on my test last week. The kid next to me got 100%, and the only reason why is because I didn't study and he did! Why should the kid who got 100% on the test be punished because I'm being lazy and not studying for these upcoming tests?

It's the exact same thing with this 99 vs 1 thing.